Powder measuring machine



July 22, 1941- L. E. SIMON ETAL. 2,249,791

O POWDER MEASURING MACHINE FiledOCt. 19, 1939 Patented July 22, 1941 cerise r PDVVDER IMEASRINGr lVlACI-IINHEI Leslie E. Simon, Aberdeen Proving Ground, lii'd.,

, and Pasquale V. di Cosmo, Doven-N. J.

lamination catcher 19, 1939, seria; N9. 300.215 y (Granted underthe act of March'S, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein m-ay be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to powder measuring machine.

In loading elements of ammunition with powder the method of weighing individual charges in order to secure uniformity and accuracy is too slow for quantity production. The purpose of this invention is to provide a volumetric measur`` ing machine which will possess a high degree oi accuracy Iand be capable of rapid operation.

Further objects are to provide a machine Whose accuracy will not be aiected by looseness of bearings or by wear of the working parts and one in which air locks or cavities will be avoided and in which the pressure eiect of the variable quantity of the material in the hopper will be minimized.

The specic nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying `drawing in which: Y

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on the general line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is -a sectional View on the line 3 3 of 3 Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the funnel.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference there is shown a support comprising a bracket 5 adjustably carried on a standard or coldetermined capacity having a reduced threaded lower extremity for receiving a bolt I4. The bolt is formed with a head I5 which has a close sliding t in the chamber I3 and serves to provide a movable floor for the chamber whereby its volume may be varied. A nut I6 on the outerend of the bolt serves as a thumbwheel for rotating the bolt. The bolt may be held in adjusted position in any suitable manner, conveniently by a set screw Il.

A crank handle I8 fixed on one of the trun- I0 disposed between the nions serves to rotate the yrotor approximately 150 degrees between the limits of a pairof stop members I9 iixedyon the bearing. The stop mem-V bers are provi-ded with'shock absorbing rubber bushings 20 to eliminate 'the tamping or jarring effect on the material being measured.

A pair of upright pins 2I 2I one of which is mounted in eachof the bearing blocks 8 8, slidably carry a cut-off block22 which is preferably of bronze. The 'centrali portion of vthe block 22 is provided with an aperture 23`which is coun-v terbcred to provide anv annular shoulderv 24. A choke adapter 25 inserted in the 'aperture is formed with an annular flange 26 which rests on the shoulder 2t and is confined by means of a hopper 27 whose neck 28 is inserted in the aperture and threaded to the cut-off block. The adapter is formed with a funnel-shaped passage, the upper flaring portion 29 being substantially equal to the internal diameter of the neck 28 and the lower cylindrical portion 3i) being preferably less than the diameter of the chamber I3 in the rotor. This arrangement permits uniform packing of theV powder in the chamber I3 by minimizing the variable pressure or Weight exerted by the variable amount of -powder in the hopper.

'I'he lower portion of the choke adapter 25 is of reduced diameter to provide an annular air space 3l between its outer wall and the inner wall of the block 22 dening the aperture 23. A vent 32 formed in the block 22 leads to the air space 3I as clearly seen in Fig. 3. The lower extremity of the choke adapter is formed with an annular ange 33.130 restrict the entrance to the air space SI and preclude the free entry of powder. The lower face 34 of the adapter is in spaced relation to the rotor. This arrangement permits the escape of air from the measuring chamber while being iilled with powder and thereby the formation of air locksor voids is prevented.

The cut-off block 22 engages the rotor by lmeans of an insert 35 which is held in a groove in the under side of the block 22 by means of screws 36. The insert is formed with an aperture 31 in alignment with the aperture 23 and it has an arcuate lower surface 38 for contacting the rotor. Y

The cut-ofi" block is held in contact with the rotor by its vown weight supplemented'by pressure from a pair of springs 39-39, each of which embraces one of the pins 2I andis confined between the block and a nut 4i! threaded on the upper end of the pin. By this means the pressure may be regulated to obtain a satisfactory cut-oi of the powder when the rotor is angularly measuring chamber I3 in the rotor.

displaced to move the entrance to the measuring chamber clear of the powder in the aperture 31.

A receptacle or funnel 4I is carried by the bearings in a position to receive the powder as it ows from the measuring chamber I3 of the rotor. The upper cylindrical portion of the funnel is conveniently slotted to provide a pair of oppositely disposed turned back Wings 42-42 which t against the spaced bearings and are secured by screws 43. This arrangement also provides an opening 44 for the rotor as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

With the parts in the position shown in the drawing, powder from the hopper iiows by gravity through the choke adapter 25 and fills the 'Ihe rotor is now turned through approximately 150 degrees cutting oi the supply from the hopper and permitting the powder in chamber I3 to flow by gravity into the funnel 4I where it may flow into a suitable container. The time required to fill and empty the measuring chamber I3 is small so that the machine may be operated rapidly.

For charges of 30 grains avoirdupois, the machine wll measure weights of powder to an accuracy of plus or minus .44 grain for 95 per cent of the charges. The accuracy for 100 per cent loadings will be within plus or minus .65 grain.

For charges of 100 grains avoirdupois, the machine has an accuracy of plus or minus 1.5 per cent. Larger charges can be measured by a larger machine with proportional accuracy.

We claim:

1. In a measuring machine, a support, a rotor trunnioned in the support and having a measuring chamber, a cut-olf block mounted on the support and having an aperture, resilient means urging said block into contact with the rotor, an adapter with a funnel-shaped passage fixed at its upper portion in the block and disposed in the aperture thereof with its lower portion spaced laterally from theblock to provide an annular air space and spaced vertically from the rotor, said block having an air vent in communication with the air space, and a hopper for supplying a material to the adapter and retaining the adapter in the block.

2. In a measuring machine, a support, a rotor trunnioned in the support and having a measuring chamber, a cut-off block having an aperture leading to said chamber and an air vent in its wall leading from said aperture, means for resilientlyV holding the block in contact with the rotor, an adapter xedly carried by the block and disposed in the aperture thereof with its lower portion spaced laterally from the block and vertically from the rotor to provide an annular air space in communication with the air vent.

3. In a measuring machine, a support, a rotor trunnioned in the support and having a measuring chamber, upright pins on the support, a cutoi block slidably mounted on the pins and having a charging aperture leading to the measuring chamber of the rotor, and a spring on each pin engaging the block to hold it in engagement with the rotor.

LESLIE E. SIMON. PASQUALE V. DI COSMO. 

